Vibration responsive mechanism for a domestic appliance



June 21, 1960 E. J. FREY 2,941,390

VIBRATION RESPONSIVE MECHANISM FOR A DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed March 26, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

HIS ATTORNEY E. J. FREY June 21, 1960 VIBRATION RESFONSIVE MECHANISM FOR A DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed. March 26, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Edward 5'6}! KMX HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent VIBRATION RESPONSIVE MECHANISM FOR A DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Edward J. Frey, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 26, 1957, Ser. No. 648,580

11 Claims. (CI. 68-24) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to control apparatus for laundry machines.

An object of the invention is to provide control mechanism for controlling the speed of rotation of a tumbling drum of a washing machine or combined washer-dryer so as to prevent dangerous vibration of the machine when the drum contains an unbalanced load.

Another object of this invention is to provide a laundry machine including a rotatable clothes container with drive means for rotatably spinning the container at high speed, the high speed spinning of the container being terminated upon excessive axial vibratory movement of the clothes container and upon excessive transverse vibratory movement of the clothes container.

Still another object of this invention is to provide control mechanism for controlling the high speed spinning of the tumbling drum of a laundry machine, the control mechanism being responsive to unbalanced vibratory movement of the drum and wherein the sensitivity of the control mechanism is regulated as a function of the load carried by the drum.

Still another object is to provide laundry apparatus including a tub and a rotatable tumbling drum therein with control mechanism for controlling high speed spinning of the drum, the control mechanism preventing high speed spinning of the drum when the tub is carrying an excessive load.

Another object of this invention is to provide a laundry machine of the type having a horizontally arranged tub and a horizontally arranged tumbling drum therein with a clothes deflector that is secured to the tub and which extends into the tumbling drum to deflect clothes toward the middle of the tub in order to prevent unbalanced loads from occurring in the tumbling drum and tub.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will 'be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view, with parts broken away, of the laundry apparatus of this invention showing the 10- cation of the control mechanism for controlling the spinning of the tumbling drum of the machine;

Figure 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating the control .circuit for controlling the electric motor and two-speed transmission that drives the tumbling drum of the laundry machine;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the bump switch mechanism shown in Fig. 1 and taken along line 3-3 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is a plan view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a top plan view taken along line 55 of Figure 3;

' Figure 6 is an enlarged front 'plan view of the clothes deflector shown in Figure 1; and

ice

Figure 7 is an enlarged top plan view of the clothes deflector shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1, a laundry machine is shown and is generally designated by reference numeral 10. The laundry machine is illustrated as a clothes washer although the control mechanism for driving the tumbling drum of the laundry machine might equally well be used with combined washer-dryers. The clothes washer comprises a main frame 12 which supports a rear panel 14, a top panel 16 and front panels 18. A removable decorative front panel 22 covers the front panels 18. A cylindrically shaped horizontally arranged tub 24 is supported from the frame 12 by means of springs 26 and shock absorbers 28 that are interposed between the frame and tub. The springs and shock absorbers are pivoted to the frame and to the tub 24. The shock absorbers and springs are located at opposite sides of the tub and approximately midway the horizontal length of the tub. The shock absorber and spring on the righthand side of tub 24 as viewed from the front is not shown in Fig. 1 but it is identical with the shock absorber and spring on the lefthand side, which is shown in Fig. 1. A torsion 'bar 30 is pivoted in suitable hearings to the main frame 12 and to the tub 24 to substantially prevent front-toback movement of the tub 24. The springs 26 and shock absorbers 28 serve to prevent transverse or side-to-side motion of the tub 24. This suspension arrangement for the tub 24 is described in greater detail in copending applications Ser. No. 623,052, filed November 19, 1956, and Ser. No. 547,475, filed November 17, 1955, now abandoned.

A tumbling drum 32 having a perforate peripheral wall and formed with the usual tumbling vanes 34 is disposed within the tub 24. The tumbling drum 32 is fixed to a shaft 36 that is journaled within a bearing 38 fixed to the rear wall of tub 24. The tumbling drum has a conically shaped rear wall portion 40; as illustrated in Fig. 1. The tumbling drum 32 has a front access opening 42 that is in alignment with front access openings formed in the tub 24 and in front cabinet wall 18. A tubular flexible member 44 made of rubber or the like is interposed between the tub 24 and the front wall 18 of the clothes washer. A door 46 is pivoted to the decorative panel 22 of the washer and abuts a peripheral edge of the flexible tubular member 44 whenin a closed position.

The tumbling drum 32 is driven by an electric motor 46 which is secured to tub 24. The electric motor is drivably connected to any well-known solenoid operated twospeed transmission mechanism designated by reference numeral 48. The output shaft of the transmission mechanism is connected with a pulley 50 which drives a pulley 52 by means of a suitable V-belt 54. The pulley 52 is connected with shaft 36 so that rotation of pulley 52 rotates the tumbling drum 32. The two-speed transmission mechanism 48 is ordinarily in a low speed position and is shifted to a high speed position whenever solenoid 56 is energized. The clothes washer is provided with suitable water inlet means (not shown) which may be of the type disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 623,052, filed November 19, 6. The water inlet apparatus is controlled by a conventional timer 58 having the usual timer operated switches. The electric motor 46 also drives a pump 60 which operates to exhaust water from the tub 24 during certain portions of the washing cycle.

The washing machine is provided with control mechanism for controlling the spinning speed of tumbling drum 32. To this enda time delay switch 62 of any well-known construction is attached to front wall 18 of the washinginachine adjacent the'iipper left-hand corner thereof. 'nienme "delay of the switch operates to delay closure "of the switch for a predetermined period of time once the switch is moved to, an open. position. A switch actuator designated asa wh'ole'by referencejnumeral'64 is attached to thetub 24 and is ingeneral alignment with a button '66 'th' at operates theswitch 62 "As is more *fully 'deseabed "hereinafter, the switch 62 will be moved to an open position by switch actuator '64 whenever "the 'tub vibrates excessively in a 'fr'ont-to-back motion or'in aftransverse sideato-side motion and whenever the tub '24is overloaded. g

The erlergizing circnit-for tumbling drum driving motor 46 and Solenoid 56isillustrated in Fig. 2. As shown in th'is{figureftheinotorj46 is connected in series with a :ti'nier operated'switch58aand in series with input'lines 1 and "L which areconnected witha suitable voltage source. f The solenoid -'56 is connected in series with timr'oprated switch 58b and with out-of-balance switch $2. During the washing cycle of the washing machine "the *th'rnbling drum is driven at low tumbling speed by 'iii'otor4'6=whenever'timer operated switch58a is closed. um-mg a spin-dry periodf operation of the washer when the tnmbling drum 32 isrotated' at a higher speed to extract moisture fro'm th'e-clothes contained therein, the timer operated swi't'ch' 58b is closed as well 'as-timer' oper- '-'-'atcd switch 58a. Thetwo spe'ed transmission 48 will-not shift to high'speed operation unless switch62 is closed -and switch 62 is normally closed except under certain :Econditions to be described hereinafter. V

'.'iTlie'i=switch "actuating mechanism generally designated tbytreference numeral"64:in: Fig. 1 is disclosed' in greater edetailtin Figs 3, *4 and" 5. The-actuating mechanisminlicludesia ibra'cketdTthat isbolted to tub 24. LA plate rmember' F68 is pivotally secured to "bracket 67 bymeans of screws 70, the top screw passing through a slot 72 :forniedinplatefi68"whereby the plate may be pivotally ad- -:justed"=with1respect'to'bracket 67. A switch actuating splate 74risriveted or othei'wise secured to plate 68. This cplate may be adjustedn'elative to' switch actuating button -fifizby-the adjustment-ofsscrewimechanism"75; The plate u74- has :a substantially horizontally extending face 76, a "vertically'cxtending switch actuatingiface 78, and a third actuating: face '80 that is inclined-to the: horizontal. The

-\ switch actuating faces 76, 78 -and-:80 -are-a1l adapted to -contact -switch actuating knob 66 which, when'moved rightwardly in Figs. 3 and it-opens athe switch "62 for a v. predetermined period of time dependingupon the time mdelay-of the switch. :Itcan'be seen fromIFigs. 3, 4'and 5 that :switch-actuating face-80 will'trip'open switch 62 whenever the tub 24 is moved transversely of the cabinet. This transverse or side-'to-side motion is partially-along an. arcuate path due-to the'fact' that the tubi is'pivotally connected to torsion bar '30. This motion -occurswhen ,theclothes are unevenly distributed aroundithe circumr ferenceof thetumbling drum 32. Thus, when solenoid 756 is energized togo' into high vspeed spinningand assuming an uneven clothes distribution; a sudden torque force is 'sct up to move-tub 24 sideways, a distance suflicient -to-trip switch 62. The switchactuatin'g' face 78 will contactswitch actuating-button 66 whenever tub 24'is moved .front=to back by anexcessive-vibratorymovement. 'The switch actuatingzface-76 will contacttheswitch button 66 toiopen switch :62 whenever the tub-:24. moves downwardly with respect to-framei 12. Thus, when the'tub isfilledwith water to some predetermined level, the

7 switch actuating face 76 will contact switch button 66 to hold the switch 62' in-anopen position.

, .Sincethe tub.24 .is resiliently: supported by springs 26,

v the tub..24 will move closer v and closer to frame 12as the "load'of clothes in the tumbling drum 32 is increased.

,Moreover, since-cam face80iisinclined to the vertical as :"illustratd" in Fig. 4, 'the cam face will move closer to ijswitcnactuanng button66'as the, load in tumbling drum li32"aiiditi1b*24 is'increased. The distance between switchactuating button 66 and cam face 80 is thus related to the "amountof'load contained in tumbling drum 32,-the cam face 80 being closer to button 66 as the load is increased. It will be obvious that less out-of-balance transverse movement of tub 24 isnecessary to trip switch 62 when the tumbling drum 32 ,is heavily loaded as compared to the condition when the tumbling drum is lightly loaded. ThGFSEIlSlllVllY OfOPGI'HllOIl of switch 62-thus varies as a function ofithe' load 'intumblingdrum 32.

As notedhereinbefore, the torsion bar 30 prevents sub- .stantiallyall front-to backmotion of tub-24. The 'possibility' of unbalanced front-to back motion of tub 214' is further reduced by the provision of a clothes deflector generally lldesig'nated by "reference numeral 82 that is attached to the inner wall of tub 24 and which extends into tumbling drum 32. This clothes deflector is made of metal or other suitable material and has a relatively narrow portion 82a that merges into a relatively wide portion 82b-as more particularly illustratedin Figs. 6

and '7. Tlie clotlies deflector deflects clothes toward Lia point located mi'dway the length of tumbling drum.32, which coincides substantially with the :point of attachment 'of the springs 26 and'shock absorbers'28 to theitub '24. During rotation of tub '32-theclothes move upwardly along face 82a of the-clothes deflector 'andwthen slide oif the deflector toward the midpoint oftumbling drum "32 'The conically shaped rear wall ofa'thetumbling'drumal'so tends to deflect the clothes to a-point overlying springs '26 and shock absorbers 28. Thede- 'flector '82 and conically shaped rear wall 40* thus z both "tend to center the load ofclothes over thersprings-26 and shock absorbers T28to provide for a balanced clothes 1oad-in'tumbling 'drnm'32. With the clothes loadqccntered over springs 26 and shock absorbers V28, thepossi-bility 0f excessive 'front-to-back vibration oftunlbling (drum 32 and'tub 24 is reduced.

into-"operation. The timer operates suitable -watcr:fil1- ing mechanism to fill the tub 24- to a'predeterminedlevel, asliswell known to those skilled-in the art. Thetum- The operationof the clothes-washer =and controlcmechanismtherefor will now be briefly described. -An operator desiring to use the clothes washer places :the "clothes .within "tumbling. drum -32 -andsets the timer 58 bling drum32 is then slowly rotated for-agitationofthe clothing, the solenoid 56 being deenergizedwatthis-time "whereby the two-speed transmission -48 is in-v its low. speed F position. After the washing cycle has laeen completed, the tub'24 is'drained of wash'water by pump 60, the

wash water being conducted to a suitable drain. -When thewater has been-exhausted from tub 24 *the timer actuated switch 58b is-closed to compete -a circuit to solenoid 56. The solenoid 56 shifts the transmission-.48

=-to-its highspeed position whereinthetumbling drum 32 is rotated at" a high spinning speedforextracting moisture from the clothes contained therein. If there isaan unbalanced load. in tumbling drum 32,.that is, where/"the clothes are unevenly distributed around thejperipheryof the tumbling drum, the switch 62 will: be openedto open .a circuit --to-solenoid 56-whereupon the tumbling-drum continues to'be: rotated, but at -a low Speed. The switch -62 isgenerally'tri'pped shortly after the solenoid=561is energized dueto: thefact thatan unbalanced load at-this :time creates :Ea suddentransverse or side'to-side vmovement of tub 24ywhereupon cam face tripsswitchu62.

In' the event that 'the tub 24 is not exhausted ofwa'sh water prior to the spinning operation, the tub-will-m'ove downtoward" frame 12 and the switch actuating face 76 ofactuator 64 will hold the switch 62- in an open position. Thus, the drum 32 can never be spun at high speed. when the tub-24 isfilled with water toscme-predetermined level.

"Ifthe tub 32' contains an unbalanced clothes loadfi'ontto-back, that is, where clothes are piled vupnear'the front or rear 'wall ofthe' drun1'32, the tub 24,may .vi-

64 will open switch 62. It should he noted, however, that when switch 58b is closed to provide for the spin cycle of the washing machine and wherein switch 62 has been opened by an excessive vibratory movement of tub 24, the tumbling drum still continues to rotate at low speed since the transmission 48 automatically cuts back to its low speed position whenever solenoid 56 is deenergized. The tumbling drum 32 will thus be rotated at slow speed for a period determined by the time delay of switch 62, and during this period the clothes normally will redistribute themselves so that upon subsequent closure of switch 62, high speed spinning will take place without tripping switch 62. In other words, the time delay of switch 62 provides a period of time wherein the tumbling drum is rotated at low speed to remedy the unbalanced clothes load condition.

Whilethe form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Laundry apparatus comprising, a rotatable clothes container, drive means for said container including means for driving said container at a low speed and at a higher speed, control means responsive to excessive vibration of said container for preventing operation of said container at high speed while permitting low speed operation, and means for automatically varying the sensitivity of said control means as a function of load in the clothes container.

2. Laundry apparatus comprising, a tub, a rotatable clothes container in said tub, drive means for said clothes container including a two speed transmission for driving said container at low and high speeds, control means for shifting said transmission from low to high speed opera-tion, and means responsive to a predetermined loading of said tub for automatically varying the point at which said transmission is shifted to high speed operation.

3. A laundry machine comprising, a tub, a substantially horizontally arranged rotatable clothes container in said tub, drive means for said container including two speed transmission means for driving said container at low and high speeds, electrically operable means for shifting said transmission means from low to high speed operation, an energizing circuit for said electrically operable means, a switch connected in series with said energizing circuit and said electrically operable means, and means for moving said'switch to an open position in response to a predetermined loading of said tub, excessive side to side vibration of said container, and excessive front to back vibration of said container along the axis of rotation of said container.

4. A laundry machine comprising, a cabinet, a tub in said cabinet, a rotatable clothes container in said tub, said tub and container being resiliently supported from said cabinet, drive means for said container including two speed transmission means for driving said container at a low and at a higher speed, a solenoid for shifting said transmission means to high speed operation when energized, an energizing circuit for said solenoid, an electrical switch connected in series with said solenoid and said energizing circuit, said switch being fixed with respect to said cabinet and including an actuating member, and a switch actuator including a non-vertically inclined actuating face mounted for movement with said tub, said actuating face operating to open said switch upon excessive vibratory movement of said tub, the distance between said inclined actuating face and said switch actuating member varying as a function of the load in said container.

5. A laundry machine comprising, a rotatable clothes container, drive means for said container including means for driving said container at high spinning speed, control means responsive to excessive vibratory movement of said container for terminating'high speed operation of said container, and means for automatically varying the sensitivity of said control means as a function of load in the clothes container.

6. A clothes washer comprising, a cabinet, a substantially horizontally arranged tub in said cabinet, a tumbling drum supported for rotation in said tub, resilient means for supporting said tub from said cabinet, drive means including two speed transmission means for driving said tumbling drum at a low tumbling speed and at a high extracting speed, a solenoid for shifting said transmission means to high speed operation when energized, an energizing circuit for said solenoid, a switch connected in series with said solenoid and energizing circuit, and a switch actuator secured to said tub, said actuator having a substantially vertically extending face and a second face located at an angle thereto, said vertically extending face operating to open said switch upon excessive front to back vibratory movement of said tub and said second face operating to open said switch upon excessive side to side vibratory movement of said tub.

7. A laundry machine comprising, a horizontally arranged tub, a frame member, resilient means for supporting said tub from said frame member and connected to said tub substantially midway the length thereof, a tumbling drum supported for rotation in said tub, and a clothes deflector secured to said tub and extending into said tumbling drum, said clothes deflector having a nar row portion for receiving said clothes and a relatively wide portion for deflecting clothes toward the area overlying the point of connection of said resilient means with said tub when said tub is rotating.

8. A laundry machine comprising, a horizontally arranged tub, a frame member, resilient means for supporting said tub from said frame member and connected to said tub substantially midway the length thereof, a

tumbling drum supported for rotation in said tub, drive means for said tumbling drum including two speed transmission mechanism for driving said tumbling drum at a low speed and at a higher speed, a solenoid for shifting said transmission to its high speed setting, an energizing circuit for said solenoid including a switch movable to an open position in response to excessive front to back motion of said tub along the axis of rotation of said tumbling drum, and a clothes deflector secured to said tub and extending into said tumbling drum for deflecting clothes toward a point located midway the length of the tumbling drum to minimize said front-to-back motion.

9. A clothes washer comprising, a cabinet, a horizontally arranged tub in said cabinet, a tumbling drum supported for rotation in said tub, resilient means for supporting said tub, an electric motor for driving said tumbling drum, two speed transmission means connected between said electric motor and said drum for driving said drum at a low speed and at a higher speed, a solenoid for shifting said transmission means to high speed operation, an energizing circuit for said solenoid including a switch connected in series therewith, said switch being fixed to said cabinet and having a switch actuator extending outwardly therefrom, and a switch tripping member secured to said tub in a position adjacent said switch actuator, said tub and tripping member moving downwardly on said resilient means to a .point where said tripping member contacts said switch actuator to open said switch when said tub is carrying a predetermined load of water, whereby said tub is prevented from operating at said higher speed when said tub contains said predetermined water load.

10. A clothes washer comprising, a frame, a cabinet, a horizontally arranged tub in said cabinet, a tumbling drum supported for rotation in said tub, resilient means for supporting said tub from said frame, a torsion bar extending lengthwise of said tub and pivotally connected to ,said tub and frame, an electric .nlotorior driving sai Jug a time delay switch connected series therewith,

,said switch being fixed 'to said cabinet and having a switch actuator extending outwardly therefrom, .and a switch tripping member secured tosaid tub in a position adjacent said switch actuator, saidiripping member contacting said switch actuator to open said switch upon excessive front to back vibration oftsai'd'tubalong the axis of rotationof said drum, upon-excessive side to side vihrationiofsaid tub,,and Whensaid tub carries a prede ,termined load.

11. A vibration control for apparatushavinga rotatjjngwmember and a stationary support member for ,said rotating member comprising :a switchportion onjone of said -,members, aswitch actuator forisai d switch, and a 2 0 taxis, and when-sa d rot t n mbercarries ga gplfidejgl'a r mined load References cited ,in :the.-fi1e:of this patent "UNITED STATES PATENTS 2: .1 4 Hu y t 1 .-r- -r.-.- Feb :16, 1 .43 12,311,92 :Eb- 1. .3, 965 2,685,188 Landon Aug. :3, :195;4 2,780,086 :Dunlap :Feb. 5,219.5;7 '2;784,584' Worst Mar. 12, 1957 2,807,952 Bochan et a1. Oct. 1,1957 2,832 ;208 Stone Apr.;29,1958

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